Multi-plate hot press



Feb. 23, 1965 MULTI-PLATE HOT PRESS Filed April 2, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "Q Q (h MW H 4% INVENTUP 9/; A J/A-r w. HUTTER 3,170,189

Feb. 23, 1965 w. HUTTER 3,170,189

MULTI-PLATE HOT PRESS Filed April 2, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,170,139 MULTi-PTATE HGT PRESS Wilhelm Hiitter, Krefeld, Germany, assignor to Niederrheinische Maschinenfabriir Becker & Van Hullen, Krefeld, Germany Filed Apr. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 134,3?3 4 Claims. (Cl. 18-4) The present invention relates to an apparatus for pressing plate-shaped work pieces of wood, synthetic material, fiber material, or the like, While employing supporting plates. The pressing of plate-shaped work pieces of wood, synthetic material, fiber material, or the like is effected in so-called multi-plate hot presses. In presses of this type, a row of pressing plates is arranged one above the other, and the material to be pressed is introduced between such plates and then pressed in conformity with the desired thickness of the work piece. The introduction of the material to be pressed between the pressing plates is effected by means of supporting plates which receive the material to be pressed at filling or feeding stations whereupon the thus charged supporting plates are introduced between the pressing plates.

After the pressing operation has been completed, the supporting plates are withdrawn so that the completed or finish-pressed plates can be conveyed to a storage place on their respective supporting plates. The cooling off of the pressed plates requires a certain time so that a corresponding storage chamber is required. On the other hand, the cooling off has to be effected gradually and relatively slowly in order to prevent the occurrence of tensions in the material which tensions could cause the pressed plates to warp. Great difficulties are always encountered in storing the pressed plates in a plane condition, especially when transporting the same, inasmuch as the plates are withdrawn from the press in a still warm condition. However, it is extremely important to store the plates in a plane condition in order to avoid warping or the like in view of the inner tensions.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a multi-plate hot press which will overcome the above mentioned drawbacks.

It is another object of this invention to provide a multiplate hot press system which will accelerate the cooling off of the pressed plates without incurring the danger of warping in view of inner tensions.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of an arrangement according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic top View of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a pressing unit, with parts broken off.

The present invention is characterized primarily in that the press system comprises a heated multi-plate press which is followed by a multi-plate press with cooled pressing plates. The pressing units respectively comprising a supporting plate are filled at filling or feeding stations with the material to be pressed. If desired, a cover sheet covering the material to be pressed may be placed on each supporting plate. These pressing units are then introduced into the heated multi-plate press in which the material on said supporting plates is pressed into plates. Directly following this pressing operation, the pressing units are introduced into the multi-plate press comprising the cooled pressing plates and in said last mentioned press are cooled under pressure and subsequently removed therefrom. By carrying out the cooling operation in a second press, the cooling of the pressing units is considerably accelerated with the result that on one hand the desired final dimensions of the completed plates are maintained at a high precision rate, and warping cannot occur. On the other hand, also the supporting plates and, as the case may be, the cover sheets are subjected to a uniform treatment whereby the uniformity of the plates to be produced will be increased.

The two multi-plate presses may be provided with conveying devices for the pressing units so that the conveying device of the heated multi-plate press will draw the supporting plates of the pressing units into the press and, subsequently to the pressing operation, will move the pressing units out of the press and introduce the thus withdrawn pressing units into the second press provided with cooled pressing plates where the supporting plates of the pressing units will be engaged by the feeding device and, following a further cooling and pressing operation, will be conveyed for instance to a storage place.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a withdrawal and introducing device may be interposed between the two presses. Such withdrawal and introducing device will from the heated multi-plate press withdraw the supporting plates of the pressing units with the pressed plates and, as the case may be, with the cover plates, and will introduce the thus withdrawn units into the multi-plate press equipped with cooled pressing plates. For instance the withdrawal and introducing device may be equipped with a withdrawal and introducing bar which moves perpendicular to the axis of the press frame and is movable by a chain drive supported by the press frame. The employment of an interposed withdrawal and introducing device yields the advantage that such withdrawal and introducing device may be built and installed separately from the multi-plate press and will during the operation of said press not directly be exposed to the heat of the heated pressing plates and consequently will not be subjected to heat tensions or other changes inherent thereto.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIGS. 1 and 2 show the heated multi-plate press 1 and the second multiplate press 2 which is equipped with cooled pressing plates. The arrangement furthermore comprises an intermediate conveying device 3. Press 1 is provided with superimposed pressing plates 4, while press 2 is equipped with superimposed pressing plates 5. The pressing plates 4 of press 1 are heated, whereas the pressing plates 5 of press 2 are cooled. The course of movement of the parts during a working operation is indicated by the arrow 6. The arrangement furthermore comprises roller guiding means 7 which form a part of the charging device for the pressing units with the supporting plates on which the material to be pressed and the cover plates covering the latter are introduced between the heated pressing plates of press 1. The charging device has mounted in superimposed manner a number of such pressing units which according to the preferred embodiment of FIG. 3 consist of supporting plates covered with material to be pressed and of cover sheets for covering the material to be pressed. These supporting plates have been charged at a filling or feeding station. The charging device pushes the entire set of pressing units between the pressing plates 4 of press 1. After the material has been pressed under heat, the pressing units are withdrawn from the press which means the supporting sheets with the pressed plates thereon and, as the case may be, with the cover plates. This withdrawal from press 1 is effected by the withdrawal and charging device 3 which in a manner known per se engages a hook 9 of the supporting plates by means of vertically rotating bars 8. This withdrawal and introducing device then moves the pressing units onto the roller conveyors 10 which are arranged at the respective level of the individual stories of the multi-plate press. The process of introducing the pressing units into the conveyor system 3 is directly followed by the withdrawal of the pressing units from the conveyor unit 3 while at the same time pressing units are introduced into press 2. This is effected by the vertically located bars. 11 which catch behind the supporting plates and in this way move the pressing units through in longitudinal direction. The bars 8 and 11 are connected to circulating endless chains 13 which extend between the roller path 10 and then pass outside.

When the pressing units, i.e. the supporting plates together with the pressed material and the cover plates have been introduced into the second multi-plate press 2, the latter carries out a second pressing operation by means of the cooled pressing plates so that the cooling off process will be accelerated while the various dimensions of the work piece will be maintained. After the cooling off operation has been completed, the supporting plates together with the finished pressed plates and, as the case may be, with the cover plates are withdrawn from the second press 2 and by means of the subsequent conveyor 12 are conveyed to a desired place.

FIG. 3 illustrates a prepared pressing unit of a preferred embodiment. The pressing unit according to FIG. 3 comprises a supporting plate 15, the material to be pressed 16 thereon, and a cover plate 17 covering the material 16.

When processing material to be pressed which is only to a minor extent sensible to outer influences, the cover plate 17 may be dispensed with.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular constructions shown in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Heated multi-plate presses and cooled multi-plate presses as they may be employed in connection with the pres ent invention are known and disclosed for instance in US. Patent No. 2,420,813.

Withdrawal and charging or introducing devices with vertically rotating bars as they may be employed in connection with the present invention are known and disclosed for instance in German Patent No. 953,008.

What I claim is:

1. In a press system for producing plate-shaped work pieces of wood, synthetic material, fiber material, and other compressible substances: a pair of presses having multiple pressing plates arranged one above the other, said presses being in alignment and the repective plates thereof being at substantially the same respective levels when the presses are open, first conveying means arranged adjacent one of said presses on the side thereof opposite the other press and operable to feed supporting plates with material to be pressed between the said pressing plates of said one press when the press is open, said pressing plates of both presses being movable toward each other for pressing said material on the supporting plates therein, second conveyor means interposed between said presses and including first moving means for engaging the ends of the support plates in said one press all at one time and operable to draw the support plates from between the pressing plates of said one press, said second conveyor means also including means for movably supporting each support plate for movement in a horizontal direction from said one press toward the other press and further including second moving means for engaging the other ends of said support plates all at one time and operable to push the support plates into said other press between the pressing plates thereof, and additional conveyor means on the side of said other press opposite said one press for withdrawing the support plates from between the pressing plates of said other press.

2. A press system according to claim 1 in which said support means includes roller means.

3. A press system according to claim 2 in which said roller means comprise laterally spaced roller flights so as to engage the side portions only of said support plates,

said moving means comprising horizontal chain loops aboveand below the region through which the support plates move and said first and second means comprising rods extending vertically between and connected to the chain loops and carried thereby along the space between said roller flights in a direction from said one press toward said other press and along the outsides. of said roller flights in a direction from the said other press toward the one press.

4. A press system according to claim 3 in which said one press is a hot press having heated pressing plates and said other press is a cooling press having cooling pressing plates and said second conveyor means providing for rapid transfer of the hot support plates from the hot press into the cooling press.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,642,621 6/53 Arno 18-53 2,719,328 10/55 Patton et al. 18-47.5 2,956,307 10/60 Fahrni 1847.5 2,992,455 7/61 Salzman 18-53 3,019,479 2/62 Erickson et al. 184

WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner. MORRIS LIEBMAN, Examiner. 

1. IN A PRESS SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING PLATE-SHAPED WORK PIECES OF WOOD, SYNTHETIC MATERIAL, FIBER MATERIAL, AND OTHER COMPRESSIBLE SUBSTANCES; A PAIR OF PRESSES HAVING MULTIPLE PRESSING PLATES ARRANGED ONE ABOVE THE OTHER, SAID PRESSES BEING IN ALIGNMENT AND THE REPECTIVE PLATES THEREOF BEING AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME RESPECTIVE LEVELS WHEN THE PRESSES ARE OPEN, FIRST CONVEYING MEANS ARRANGED ADJACENT ONE OF SAID PRESSES ON THE SIDE THEREOF OPPOSITE THE OTHER PRESS AND OPERABLE TO FEED SUPPORTING PLATES WITH MATERIAL TO BE PRESSED BETWEEN THE SAID PRESSING PLATES OF SAID ONE PRESS WHEN THE PRESS IS OPEN, SAID PRESSING PLATES OF BOTH PRESSES BEING MOVABLE TOWARD EACH OTHER FOR PRESSING SAID MATERIAL ON THE SUPPORTING PLATES THEREIN, SECOND CONVEYOR MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID PRESSES AND INCLUDING FIRST MOVING MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE ENDS OF THE SUPPORT PLATES IN SAID ONE PRESS ALL AT ONE TIME AND OPERABLE TO DRAW THE SUPPORT PLATES FROM BETWEEN THE PRESSING PLATES OF SAID ONE PRESS, SAID SECOND CONVEYOR MEANS ALSO INCLUDING MEANS FOR MOVABLY SUPPORTING EACH SUPPORT PLATE FOR MOVEMENT IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION FROM SAID ONE PRESS TOWARD THE OTHER PRESS AND FURTHER INCLUDING SECOND MOVING MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID SUPPORT PLATES ALL AT ONE TIME AND OPERABLE TO PUSH THE SUPPORT PLATES INTO SAID OTHER PRESS BETWEEN THE PRESSING PLATES THEREOF, AND ADDITIONAL CONVEYOR MEANS ON THE SIDE OF SAID OTHER PRESS OPPOSITE SAID ONE PRESS FOR WITHDRAWING THE SUPPORT PLATES FROM BETWEEN THE PRESSING PLATES OF SAID OTHER PRESS. 